"Israeli-Hamas Conflict Escalates: Blinken Urges Humanitarian Pause"

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejects a cease-fire with Hamas until the release of over 240 hostages seized during the Oct. 7 attack, while Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah praises the attack and calls for regional resistance against Israel. Thirteen U.S. Democratic senators call for a temporary cessation of hostilities in Gaza to protect civilian life, as the United Nations estimates $1.2 billion is needed to meet the humanitarian needs of the people in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. The United Nations aid chief reports "some progress" in getting fuel into Gaza, and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasizes the need to protect civilians during the conflict. Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan calls for a cease-fire and accuses Israel of committing crimes against humanity in Gaza. The death toll rises to over 9,200 in Gaza and over 1,400 in Israel since the start of the war, while the Israeli military remains on high alert along the northern border with Lebanon.